It is known that files can be combined or appended/prepended together. The problem, however, is that in order to access or extract the data that is appended/prepended to another file, special proprietary software must be utilized in order to parse, extract and view the data.
For example, appending HTML or browser-based content to an image or other like file can create several problems. Particularly, there is generally no way to access the HTML content without special software that is configured to read the appended data. Also, the appended data will be lost if the underlying image file or other file is edited, even if utilizing an editor that supports and retains metadata. Without more, simply renaming the file from a .JPG extension to an .HTM or .HTML extension will not work because web browsers interpret and display HTML files according to HTML and CSS specifications; the binary data of the JPG or like-file would display as nonsensical data or gibberish in the browser. Also, depending on the type of file, it is possible the entire file may not load in the first place.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a composite computer file and a method of creating a composite computer file that can be accessed in two different manners by two different programs or applications that are both common, ubiquitous and not specialized. For example, it would be beneficial if a user could create or obtain a composite file that can be opened and accessed in both a native or common application (such as an image viewer) and a native or common web browser, simply by renaming the filename extension.